Ruffling attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. M. GREIST. RUFPLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

. No. 504,875. Patented Sept. 12, 1893-. H

(Nb Model.) 2 SheetS-SheetZ. i

T J. M. GRBIST. BUPPLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 504,875. 7 Patented-Sept 12, 1893.

\ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. GREIST, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

RUFFLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 504,87 5, datedSeptember 12, 1893.

Application filed December 14,1892- Scrial No. 455,182. (No m del.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. Gnmsna citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSewing-Machine Rufflers, of which the followingis aspecification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class ofsewing machine rufflers in whichthe ruftling blade is operated from a bell-crank-lever receivingmovement from the needle bar of the sewing machine, and my invention hasfor its object to provide a ruiiler, of the class referred to, which issimple in construction, so that it may be cheaply manufactured, whichprovides for a very delicate adjustment of the movements of theruff-ling blade, and in which the ruffiing blade is detaohably securedto its operating slide so that when worn it may be replaced by a newruftling blade.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are opposite side views of my improvedruffler, and Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and rear end views, re spectively,of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the removableseparatorblade and the part by which it is carried, and Fig. 6 is abottom view of the ruffling blade and its carrier, to show the means ofattachment of the former to the latter.

. furcated bracket, the said plate A being secured to the presser footby a set screw on passing through an ear in one of the said arms of thesaid bifurcated bracket. The plate A is provided with an upwardlyextending projection or standard A to the upper part of which ispivoted, by a pin b,the operating bellcrank lever B, the upper arm ofwhich is forked to embrace a screw or projection on the needle bar of asewing machine.

C is the ruffling blade carrier consisting, as herein shown, of a slideor sliding plate bent at right-angles, one portion thereof beingvertical and the other horizontal. The vertical portion of the saidslide or sliding plate is provided with a slot 0 through which passesthe pivot-pin b of the bell-crank operating lever B, and also with aslot 0' in which works a projection I) carried by the lower arm of thesaid operating bell-crank lever, said slide C being also provided with aguiding arm 0 which slides in a guideway formed by the plate a rivetedto the said standard A and so bent as to embrace the said arm 0 Ddenotes the ruffling blade which is preferably removably attached to theloweror hgrizont-al arm of the sliding carrier C by means of a smallscrew 61, tapped in the said carrier,

and a dowel pin d suitably secured in said carrier and entering a holeformed for its reception in the said ruffling blade. It will be observedthat the said screw and pin for securing the ruffling blade in place, byreason of their engagement with said blade at two separated points, holdthe same strongly in place; and by merely taking out said screw the saidblade may be quickly and easily removed to be replaced by anothersimilar one, should it become so worn as to be unfit for use.

To provide for different movements of the ruffling blade the lug orprojection b, which fits loosely in the inclined slot 0' in the slidingcarrier C, is made vertically adjustable or toward and from the fulcrumof the operating lever by being formed on a small plate 19 provided withan opening through which the lower arm of the bell crank lever B passes;said plate being provided with a doubled portion b which forms two armstapped for the passage of the threaded portion of the adjusting screwfprovided at its upper end with a milled head f by which it may be easilyturned. The screwfis supported by a horizontal ear 19 formed on theoperating bellcrank-lever B, and below the said ear the shank of saidscrew is provided with a poly,,- onal portion f against which presses alight plate spring f attached to the said bell-crank lever B, said screwbeing free to turn in the said ear but being held from longitudinalmovement by said head and the shoulder at the upper portion of the saidpolygonal portion of the said screw. The spring f presses lightlyagainst the polygonal portion f of the screw but still with sufficientforce to prevent accidental turning thereof, while the stress of thesaid spring is so light that when it is desired to turn the screw forthe purpose of adjusting the lug b in the slot 0', for the purpose ofvarying the throw of the ruffling blade, such adjusting movement iseasily effected. By reason of the polygonal form of the part of thescrew it will be seen that the same provides several faces against whichthe said spring f may press, so that a very fine adj ustment of the lugb is secured, as the polygonal portionf (herein shown as being madesquare, and thus provided with four faces) provides means for holdingthe said screw in several diiferent positions during a single turnthereof, so that adjustments of the movements of the ruffiing blade maybe secured with a greater degree of exactness than has heretofore beenpossible with the similar adjustments employed.

Attached to the bell-crank-lever B, to move therewith, is a plate Ghaving a depending arm 9 which comes adjacent to the adjustable plate I)carrying the lug b, said depending arm being provided with a graduatedscale to indicate the position of adjustment of said plate.

Attached to the lower side of the supporting plate A is a thin plate hwhich forms a false bottom for the presser foot of the machine to whichthe rufiler is to be attached,

' and between which part it and the part of the plate A immediatelyabove it the presser foot will fit.

The separator-plate i is carried by an arm or bracket I having asecuring portion or arm 11 consisting of two diverging parts or armswhich are provided at or near their ends withdowel pins 2' to entersmall holes formed for their reception in the upper surface of the plateA. By providing these dowel pins, separated from each other, the saidplate I may be firmly secured in place by means of the set screw Jtapped in the plate A and which engages the said arm 2' to secure theseparator-plate carrying arm I in place. The said screw J also holds thestrip guide K in place. When shirring is to be done the separator plateis removed by loosening the set screw J and removing the carrying-arm I,and in lieu thereof a separator attached to a shuttle-racecovering-slide in a well known manner, is employed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patcut- 1. In a sewing machine ruffler, the combination with aframe or supporting plate provided with means for attachment to a sewingmachine and with a standard, of a bell crank lever pivoted to the upperpart of the said standard and carrying on its lower arm averticallyadjustable lug or projection, a sliding ruffling blade slideor carrier provided with an inclined slot in which said lug orprojection works, and with a horizontal slot embracing the pivot pin ofthe said bell-crank lever, said carrier having also a guiding armfitting in a suitable guide-Way formed for the same on the saidstandard.

2. In a sewing machine ruftler, the combination with the frame or plateA provided at one end with a bifurcated bracket a, and at its other endwith a standard A of a bellorank lever B pivoted by a pin 1) to theupper portion of said standard, and carrying on its lower arm avertically adjustable plate or projection, the sliding ruffling bladecarrier 0 formed with vertical and horizontal portions, the verticalportion thereof having the slots 0 and c and the guiding arm 0 the lastnamed fitting in a guide-Way formed on the said standard, and thehorizontal portion of the said sliding carrier having attached theretothe rufliing blade D.

3. In a sewing machine ruffler, the combination with a suitable frame orsupport, and an operating lever pivoted thereto, of a rutfling blade andits carrier, an adjustable lug or projection carried by said operatinglever and engaging said carrier, a screw for adj usting said lug orprojection, said screw being provided with a polygonal portion and ahead by which it may be turned, and a light spring bearing against thesaid polygonal portion of said screw for retaining the same in thedifferent positions to which it may be adjusted,

while permitting the said screw to be easily turned when desired.

4. In a sewing machine ruffler, the combination with the supportingplate and its standard, of a bell-cran k-lever pivoted to saidsupporting plate, a ruftling blade and its carrier, an adjustableconnection between said ruffiing blade carrier and the said operatinglever, said connection consisting of the plate 19 provided with a lug orprojection working loosely in a slot in said carrier, the screw Fsupported on the said operating lever and having a threaded portionengaging a part of the said plate b said screw having ahead f and apolygonal part f and the light plate spring f carried by saidbell-crank-lever and pressing against the said polygonal part of thesaid screw.

In testimony whereof I affix m ysignaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. GREIST.

Witnesses:

L. W. BEECHER, H. D. STANNARD.

